Best Hardware Acquisition of 2019

I don't see one for 2019. Might as well start one.

I got one of this used. I would say so far it the best this year.

SUB 15

 

After resisting forever...resistance proved futile...and we got a turntable. Rega RP-8 with Apheta2 MC cartridge.

 

I don't intend to spend any money until the very end of the year, beginning of next, when I might trade in my stopgap Teac P160 CD player for the Marantz CD6006. (I have a Marantz amp, the PM7005.) Do we think this will be a good upgrade, or not enough of one?

 

ATC SCM11 v2:

 

My Lumin T2 which replaced my beloved PS Audio DSJ

 

It’s a toss up between these two new favorites of 2019. A pair of Klipsch RF-7III towers and a Marantz Reference SA-KI-Ruby SACD/CD player:

 

I bought an amplifier, Audio by Van Alstine Vision SET 120.
A preamplifier, Audio by Van Alstine Transcendence 10 SLR.
Speakers, Spatial Audio M3 Triode Masters.
I can't pick one as the best, but I think I'm done buying audio hardware for 2019.

 

It would have to be new Bob Crites crossovers for my 1986 Klipsch Forte's. Amazing change in sound; instead of selling I am keeping them. Per advice from a fellow forum member, I replaced the Crites titanium tweeters with the originals and the transfomation was complete. I do believe they sound better than when new, I know they sound better than a month ago. Now thinking about an amp with some tubes!

 

Pacific Creek SE300i. Brand new "b' stock for such a good price I was a bit scared of the 'too good to be true' cliche biting me in the butt. I bought it because Steve Hoffman liked it and TONE Audio gave it a good review back in 2005. The designer/CEO Jerry Wang drove it up I-5 a couple hours to my place last Sunday. We had the 68 pound massive and passive integrated amp up and running in no time.

The passive input stage gave me a bit of concern at first, but I upped the gain on my phono pre and it's been making great music since. Excellent match with my speakers. Way more dynamic than I thought it would be! If you are in Seattle area and looking for an affordable 300b he may have a few more left.

 

For me it's a tie between my Transfiguration Phoenix S cartridge and Marantz PM-10S1 integrated amp. Both are game changers that I would be lost without.

 

It’s a toss up for me as well. I bought an Audio Note DAC 3.1x/ii Balanced and an Audio Note M5 within a few weeks of each other. These effectively “complete” my system for the moment. They each brought a set of qualities that I wouldn’t want to be without.

The next purchase will be a larger console table or a proper audio rack if I can find something that suits the decor. I need to get the LP12 back up to the top shelf where she belongs.

 

No question about it: Shunyata Alpha USB cable. Brought an audible improvement so much better as to be on the level of significantly better new high-end (like CJ, ARC, etc) preamp or DAC.

 

Freesole, is the Lumin T2 a streamer? If so, is it a Roon endpoint? Thanks.

 

So far only these Sony WH-1000XM3 headphones. Love them:

 

Only hardware acquisition of significance this year is a Synology NAS that I'm using as a dedicated Roon server. Love it, though.

 

For me i would be the GoldenEar Triton 1R towers.

 

Looks like the DS218+ I purchased a couple weeks ago. Still can’t get the Plex app to see my music files...

 

VPI 3D tonearm.

 

A little early in the year but probably going to be the Graham Slee Reflex M phono stage for me.

 

Only thing I bought was a pair of Mr Speakers Aeon Flow closed back headphones. They're just what I needed (for listening in bed witbouw annoying the missus).

 

Yep, that’s the same model. I upgraded the RAM to 6 GB, installed two 6 TB Seagate IronWolf drives, and I’m running the Roon database from a Sandisk external SSD. I was concerned about the processor, but it isn’t laggy at all unless the drives need to spin up.

I haven’t tried Plex. I’ve been using Roon for a couple of years and just renewed for the lifetime membership. There’s a whole thread on the Roon site about migrating your library and database to a Synology SSD, and it was pretty straightforward.

 

Yup. It is a streamer and a Roon endpoint. Sounded better than my DSJ which I never thought a straight streamer could accomplish.

 

Love these!

 

Lumin D2. It sounds way better than I expected it to. It replaced a Mytek Brooklyn DAC+ powered by a Keces linear power supply, fed by a Bluesound Node 2.

I put the Keces on my Dynavector P75 MK4 and The improvement was also way better than I expected.